Wondering when schools are off in Germany? We’ve put together a handy guide for the coming term so you can plan the year ahead.
Whether you need to secure childcare, you’re planning a family holiday or you’re wondering when it might be quieter for a staycation, it is handy to know when pupils in Germany are off school.
Germany’s 16 states (Bundesländer) are responsible for their school calendar. That means vacations vary depending on the region you’re based in.
READ ALSO: How working parents in Germany manage childcare during the summer holidays
The main school holiday breaks in Germany include:
Autumn holidays – Herbstferien
Christmas holidays – Weihnachtsferien
Winter holidays – Winterferien
Easter holidays – Osterferien
Whitsun – Pfingstferien
Summer holidays – Sommerferien
When schools in Germany are closed for the holidays
We’ve compiled the dates below for each state in the 2026/27 school year.
Please note there will be further days off depending on the state and individual school, for example teaching-free days. Make sure to check with your school calendar to keep on top of those.
READ ALSO: What do children actually learn at school in Germany?
Baden-Württemberg
Autumn: October 26th-30th
Christmas/winter: December 23rd, 2026-January 9th
Easter: March 25th, plus March 30th-April 3rd
Whitsun: May 18th-29th
Summer: July 29th-September 11th
Bavaria
Autumn: November 2nd-6th
Christmas: December 24th-January 8th
Winter: February 8th-12th
Easter: March 22nd-April 2nd
Whitsun: May 18th-28th
Summer: August 2nd-September 13th
Berlin
Autumn: October 19th-31st
Christmas: December 23rd-January 2nd
Winter: February 1st-6th
Easter: March 22nd-April 2nd
Whitsun: May 18th-19th
Summer: July 1st-August 14th
Brandenburg
Autumn: October 19th-30th
Christmas: December 23rd-January 2nd
Winter: February 1st-6th
Easter: March 22nd-April 3rd
Whitsun: May 18th
Summer: July 1st-August 14th
Bremen
Autumn: October 12th-24th
Christmas: December 23rd-January 9th
Winter: February 1st-2nd
Easter: March 22nd-April 3rd
Summer: July 8th-August 18th
Hamburg
Autumn: October 19th-30th
Christmas: December 21st-January 1st
Winter: January 29th
Easter: March 1st-12th
Whitsun: May 7th-14th
Summer: July 1st-August 11th
Hesse
Autumn: October 5th-17th
Christmas/winter: December 23rd-January 12th
Easter: March 22nd-April 2nd
Summer: June 28th-August 6th
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Autumn: October 15th-24th
Christmas: December 21st-January 2nd
Winter: February 8th-19th
Easter: March 24th-April 2nd
Whitsun: May 14th-18th
Summer: July 5th-August 14th
Lower Saxony
Autumn: October 12th-24th
Christmas: December 23rd-January 9th
Winter: February 1st-2nd
Easter: March 22nd-April 3rd
Summer: July 8th-August 18th
North Rhine-Westphalia
Autumn: October 17th-31st
Christmas/winter: December 23rd-January 6th
Easter: March 22nd-April 3rd
Whitsun: May 18th
Summer: July 19th-August 31st
Rhineland-Palatinate
Autumn: October 5th-16th
Christmas/winter: December 23rd-January 8th
Easter: March 22nd-April 2nd
Summer: June 28th-August 6th
Saarland
Autumn: October 5th-16th
Christmas: December 21st-31st
Winter: February 8th-12th
Easter: March 30th-April 9th
Summer: June 28th-August 6th
Saxony
Autumn: October 12th-24th
Christmas: December 23rd-January 2nd
Winter: February 8th-19th
Easter: March 26th-April 2nd
Whitsun: May 15th-18th
Summer: July 10th-August 20th
READ ALSO: What financial help can families get for school costs in Germany?
Saxony-Anhalt
Autumn: October 19th-30th
Christmas: December 21st-January 2nd
Winter: February 1st-6th
Easter: March 22nd-27th
Whitsun: May 15th-22nd
Summer: July 10th-August 20th
Schleswig-Holstein
Autumn: October 12th-24th
Christmas/winter: December 21st-January 6th
Easter: March 30th-April 10th
Summer: July 3rd-August 14th
Thuringia
Autumn: October 12th-24th
Christmas: December 23rd-January 2nd
Winter: February 1st-6th
Easter: March 22nd-April 3rd
Summer: July 10th-August 20th
Other holidays to be aware of:
Please note some of these are included in school vacation periods. When a holiday falls on a weekend in Germany it is not moved to a week day.
Nationwide holidays:
Christmas Day (Erster Weihnachtstag): December 25th, 2026 (Friday)
Boxing Day (Zweiter Weihnachtstag): December 26th, 2026 (Saturday)
New Year’s Day (Neujahrstag): January 1st, 2027 (Friday)
Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit): May 1st, 2027 (Saturday)
Good Friday (Karfreitag): March 26th, 2027 (Friday)
Easter Monday (Ostermontag): March 29th, 2027 (Monday)
Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit): May 1st, 2027 (Saturday)
Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt): May 6th, 2027 (Thursday)
Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag): May 17th, 2027 (Monday)
German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit): October 3rd, 2027 (Sunday)
Regional holidays:
Reformation Day (Reformationstag): October 31st, 2026 (Saturday), in Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia
All Saints’ Day (Allerheiligen): November 1st, 2026 (Sunday), in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland
Epiphany (Heilige Drei Könige): January 6th, 2027, in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt
International Women’s Day (Frauentag): March 8th, 2027, in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam): May 27th, 2027, in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, as well as some districts in Saxony and Thuringia
Assumption Day (Mariä Himmelfahrt): August 15th, 2027 (Sunday), in Saarland and some predominantly Catholic communities in Bavaria
World Children’s Day (Weltkindertag): September 20th, 2027, in Thuringia
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
